1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to prediction on traffic information. In particular, it relates to a prediction device for predicting traffic information which adds therein day factors, such as days of the week and “gotoobi” days, and which includes arrival-time delay risk. Here, the above-described “gotoobi” days mean settlement days of integral multiples of 5 specified such as 5th date, 10th date and so on, according to Japanese-specific sense of good omen.
2. Description of the Related Art
The traffic-information prediction method using the regression analysis, i.e., one of the mainstreams of conventional traffic-information prediction methods, allows prediction on numerical traffic information, such as travel time, congestion level, and traffic volume, in such a manner that the day factors are reflected on the numerical traffic information. Application target for this traffic-information prediction method is prediction on traffic information on a day-unit basis, e.g., location traffic volume per day and congestion level during a certain specific time-zone. If, however, the day factors are selected as explanatory variable quantities in the regression analysis, the explanatory variable quantities become the information on the day-unit basis. As a result, this traffic-information prediction method is unsuitable for prediction on traffic information which is not defined on the day-unit basis, such as travel time with a several-minute interval.
In association with this point, as technology which allows execution of prediction on traffic information with an arbitrary period, such as the travel time with a several-minute interval, there has been known the use of the following method: Namely, the traffic information is classified according to the day factors, and the information classified in this way is stored and accumulated. The use of this method has been shown in, e.g., Necessity Time Guidance presented by the Capital Expressway Corporation.